Posts Tagged ‘public space negotiations’

The New York Street Advertising Takeover (NYSAT) Project was developed and funded by a group called the Public Ad Campaign. The goal of the project was to bring public spaces back to the people. Many of the advertisements seen on billboards in major cities are illegal; yet they do not attract the attention of city officials. One company that is responsible for 120 illegal advertisements is NPA City Outdoor. The NYSAT Project set out do whitewash as many of these street level advertisements as possible to bring the public landscapes back to the people and remove the consumerist effects of the ads.

The individuals who were involved in the project are of many different professions and backgrounds. They are brought together by the common idea that public areas should reflect the feelings of the citizens. During the project, five members were arrested and many of the advertisements were replaced within hours. Earlier this year, the Public Ad Campaign held the Toronto Street Advertising Takeover (TOSAT) and has expressed interest in holding more of these events in various cities.

We chose this project because of its roots in the importance and significance of public spaces. The NYSAT Project spread through word of mouth and recruited individuals of many backgrounds. All of whom were interested in bringing attention to the consumerism and advertising that has been ingrained in our everyday lives (all of which was illegal as well). It also fostered a medium for which citizens could express their own feelings and spread anti-commercial messages. After the whitewashing was completed, artists came out to engage the public spaces in ways that would be more personal to fellow users of the space.